The Blink of an Eye: A Reflection on Time and Being Present

I have been thinking a lot lately about how quickly time flies. It’s a quiet, persistent thought that seems to grow more profound with each passing year.

When I think about my son, who is now a wonderful young man, I look back on his youth with such a mix of emotions. There is immense pride and joy, of course, but there is also, if I am honest, a touch of sadness that I didn’t enjoy it more. A quiet wish that I had found a way to sit and watch just one extra cartoon, or play one more game, even when I was tired or busy.

The old saying, “youth is wasted on the young,” often hits hard. But I think it's really about perspective. When you're in the thick of it—whether it's parenting, building a career, or just navigating life—you're often focused on just getting through the day. It's only when you look back that you see how fleeting it all was.

So today, I want to share some "sage" advice, as someone who has seen it happen: Be present. When you look back, it will all feel like it happened in the blink of an eye.

Now, I want to be very clear: This doesn’t minimise the struggles of whatever stage you are in. Life is hard. Parenting young children is exhausting. Building a career is stressful. Navigating your 20s is confusing. Being present is not about pretending that the difficult parts aren't difficult. It’s about not letting the stress of the day completely overshadow the small, beautiful moments that are happening right alongside it.

So, enjoy your youth, whatever stage you are in. Create the memories, even in the mundane.

Our time here is short. It's so easy to get caught up in the chase for things—a bigger house, a 'flash' car, the next promotion. Yet, the stories from the end of life are always the same, and they serve as a powerful reminder. People don't speak of their possessions. They speak of love: the relationships they cherished, or the ones they wished they had nurtured more.

The relationships we make will be the beautiful stories in our mind that will keep us going in our later years. These connections are the true currency of a well-lived life.

We can't rewind the clock. But we can choose what we do with the moment in front of us.

Cherish those you love. Put the phone down for a few extra minutes and truly listen.

Breathe more. This is more than just a calming platitude; it's a direct command to your biology. Taking a few slow, deep breaths is one of the fastest ways to shift your nervous system out of a state of chronic stress (fight or flight) and into a state of presence and calm (rest and digest). It's in this state that we can truly savour a moment.

And always, keep things in perspective.

That extra cartoon or one more game might seem insignificant today. But I promise you, it’s the stuff that life is made of.